Rides 2012
10th June 2012 - Savernake Ride
This letter was sent to Rosie Pack, who organised the ride.
Dear Rosie,
Just a quick message to thank-you very much for the lovely ride in Savernake Forest today. It was certainly worth the journey from Reading! The forest was really beautiful and as I took the longer option it was fantastic to be able to ride round the quiet roads and all those wonderful field margins as well. My pony enjoyed the faster sections, and even at 25 still produced a great extended trot through some of the longer vegetation! He was getting tired at the end but revived considerably after munching a lot of the grass round the trailer when we got back to the car.
Many thanks to you and all your lovely stewards and helpers. We look forward to doing it all again next year!
With best wishes
Hazel (Matthews)
Dear Rosie,
Just a quick message to thank-you very much for the lovely ride in Savernake Forest today. It was certainly worth the journey from Reading! The forest was really beautiful and as I took the longer option it was fantastic to be able to ride round the quiet roads and all those wonderful field margins as well. My pony enjoyed the faster sections, and even at 25 still produced a great extended trot through some of the longer vegetation! He was getting tired at the end but revived considerably after munching a lot of the grass round the trailer when we got back to the car.
Many thanks to you and all your lovely stewards and helpers. We look forward to doing it all again next year!
With best wishes
Hazel (Matthews)
Rides 2011
Savernake Ride - September 2011
This year’s ride was a far more enjoyable one than 2010, when the unrelenting rain kept riders at home with their feet up.
We achieved a respectable 42 entries, which makes all the hard work worthwhile, and the weather was fairly kind to us, although a bit more sun would have been lovely.
Running the ride this year was particularly hard work, as my back-up marking person (my husband Andy) was unable to help, and no-one came forward to help with entries, so I had a lot to do. I was delighted to at least have company on most of my walks/bike rides when marking the course, as a friend of mine just happened to be in between jobs, but as she does not know Savernake Forest she could only tag along and have an in-depth local geography lesson.
I did have good help with de-marking; again it was my friend Ruth Clarkson, and also my daughter Becky, son Dan and his girlfriend Sarah, who turned up from London the day after the ride-excellent timing from my point of view!!
Thanks to the helpers on the day, Rita McVittie, Barbara Macmullen, Norman & Ed Beardsley, Becky Pack, Ruth Clarkson, Jackie Peters, and Judy Grange.
If any members want to ride in Savernake Forest please contact me about the possibility of a “guided” ride, which may be possible under WBA insurance arrangements.
Please contact ROSIE PACK e-mail: [email protected]
We achieved a respectable 42 entries, which makes all the hard work worthwhile, and the weather was fairly kind to us, although a bit more sun would have been lovely.
Running the ride this year was particularly hard work, as my back-up marking person (my husband Andy) was unable to help, and no-one came forward to help with entries, so I had a lot to do. I was delighted to at least have company on most of my walks/bike rides when marking the course, as a friend of mine just happened to be in between jobs, but as she does not know Savernake Forest she could only tag along and have an in-depth local geography lesson.
I did have good help with de-marking; again it was my friend Ruth Clarkson, and also my daughter Becky, son Dan and his girlfriend Sarah, who turned up from London the day after the ride-excellent timing from my point of view!!
Thanks to the helpers on the day, Rita McVittie, Barbara Macmullen, Norman & Ed Beardsley, Becky Pack, Ruth Clarkson, Jackie Peters, and Judy Grange.
If any members want to ride in Savernake Forest please contact me about the possibility of a “guided” ride, which may be possible under WBA insurance arrangements.
Please contact ROSIE PACK e-mail: [email protected]
Summer Ride - Rockley - 5th June 2011
Our sincerest thanks go to Dr Andrew and Mrs Nikki Rickman for offering us the opportunity of holding the start of the Ride on their land; thanks also to the Sangster Family and the Count and Countess Goess Saurau for giving their permission for the riders to ride across their beautiful land.
33 riders turned out on the day and it was a bit of a miserable day weather-wise but it didn’t deter any of them at all. The route took the riders across the Marlborough Downs where they could enjoy spectacular, far-reaching views before dropping down into the Valley of the Stones, a dramatic landscape littered with sarsen stones. This was followed by a spell on The Ridgeway and finishing with some lovely opportunities for cantering along some perfectly mowed field margins.
The riders also had to contend with about 200 cyclists doing a “Mountain Bike Challenge” which more-or-less followed the exact same route as our ride. Not to mention about 50 Vintage tractors on The Ridgeway. All the riders arrived back at the lorry park happy, saying how stunning the scenery was and that they had thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to do it again. We felt it was a very successful day.
Now I, the “Editor” of this piece, and “Organiser / Secretary”, must pass on my heartfelt thanks to all those who helped with the organisation of the ride, it wouldn’t have happened without them. It took many hours to mark the route on Saturday and without Elena and her partner Jon and his wonderful 1953 Series 1 Land-Rover we would have been marking it all night! Thank you too to all those who helped on the day as “Starter” (Jo Parkes) and our Stewards (Barbara Macmullen, Judy Grange and Elena Blanco) and to Jilly Carter for picking the route for our riders, riding the route to check it and for providing directions for the riders. My thanks also to Tracey Martin for the delicious packed lunches she provided for us on the day and for organising the parking. Tracey also provided marvellous OS maps for the riders to take with them.
ALEX GAY
33 riders turned out on the day and it was a bit of a miserable day weather-wise but it didn’t deter any of them at all. The route took the riders across the Marlborough Downs where they could enjoy spectacular, far-reaching views before dropping down into the Valley of the Stones, a dramatic landscape littered with sarsen stones. This was followed by a spell on The Ridgeway and finishing with some lovely opportunities for cantering along some perfectly mowed field margins.
The riders also had to contend with about 200 cyclists doing a “Mountain Bike Challenge” which more-or-less followed the exact same route as our ride. Not to mention about 50 Vintage tractors on The Ridgeway. All the riders arrived back at the lorry park happy, saying how stunning the scenery was and that they had thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to do it again. We felt it was a very successful day.
Now I, the “Editor” of this piece, and “Organiser / Secretary”, must pass on my heartfelt thanks to all those who helped with the organisation of the ride, it wouldn’t have happened without them. It took many hours to mark the route on Saturday and without Elena and her partner Jon and his wonderful 1953 Series 1 Land-Rover we would have been marking it all night! Thank you too to all those who helped on the day as “Starter” (Jo Parkes) and our Stewards (Barbara Macmullen, Judy Grange and Elena Blanco) and to Jilly Carter for picking the route for our riders, riding the route to check it and for providing directions for the riders. My thanks also to Tracey Martin for the delicious packed lunches she provided for us on the day and for organising the parking. Tracey also provided marvellous OS maps for the riders to take with them.
ALEX GAY
